Watched Return of the Secaucus Seven the other week and loved it. Hoping to get round to Matewan and Lone Star sometime soon. Anyone a fan? Has anyone read that massive novel he published a few years back, A Moment in the Sun?
John Sayles
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padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
earliest one I've seen is Matewan - fucking great, up there (along with Reds) in in the pantheon of American labor struggle films
Eight Men Out is a very enjoyable retelling of the Black Sox scandal, again from a labor perspective (casting Studs Terkel was also a nice touch)
Men With Guns aka Hombres Armados is my favorite film of his, especially having spent time in Chiapas
hard to imagine another American filmmaker making a comparable film about the topic - bit more lyrical than his usual fare, less directly agitprop
the more recent ones I've seen - Sunshine State and Honeydripper - weren't on the same level but still always a solid product
he's basically an American Ken Loach maybe crossed with a bit of Mike Leigh
Eight Men Out is a very enjoyable retelling of the Black Sox scandal, again from a labor perspective (casting Studs Terkel was also a nice touch)
Men With Guns aka Hombres Armados is my favorite film of his, especially having spent time in Chiapas
hard to imagine another American filmmaker making a comparable film about the topic - bit more lyrical than his usual fare, less directly agitprop
the more recent ones I've seen - Sunshine State and Honeydripper - weren't on the same level but still always a solid product
he's basically an American Ken Loach maybe crossed with a bit of Mike Leigh
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
Never seen Return of the Secaucus Seven, I only know it as the proto-Big Chill, which is an infamous pinnacle of Boomer self-love
you'd recommend it tho?
you'd recommend it tho?
I recently watched them both for the first time and the Sayles flick's miles better. I didn't hate The Big Chill, but it's so slick and soulless in comparison. There's a warmth to Sayles' film that's completely absent from TBC. The characters are flawed, but they aren't as jaded and self-serving as Kevin Kline and co. and they've managed to retain their ideals somewhat.
i really enjoyed matewan. good early role from bonnie prince billie, there's a sscene where he does some testifying/preaching in the church, he tells the story of joseph's attempted seduction by potifers wife, and relates it to what's going on, it's really good. he looks fucking mental.
i think i fell asleep in anothe rof his films though, probably 'seven'... he's kinda slow and pondering so you need your wits about you, which i clearly didn't.
but yeah matewan is brilliant, would highly recommend. i would watch it again but wouldn't stand a chance atm.
i think i fell asleep in anothe rof his films though, probably 'seven'... he's kinda slow and pondering so you need your wits about you, which i clearly didn't.
but yeah matewan is brilliant, would highly recommend. i would watch it again but wouldn't stand a chance atm.